Oral History

In 1989 with two kids, under the age of eight, my mother first arrived to America from Jordan. The promise of opportunity, with the fear of the unknown brought on mixed emotions. My mother spent her first two weeks, which “seemed like two years” living with her brother who had arrived two years prior. The first few weeks seemed like the longest for her because America was so different from what she knew and from where she had came from. She could not speak the language, she did not know many people, and it was had for her to adapt to the culture.
A short time after moving to America she had to enroll her two children into school, which was a scary and nerve racking experience. She knew little English and was afraid she would not be able to effectively communicate with the staff. She walked in and after a minute it was obvious she needed a translator, which she accepted gratefully since it was hard for her to understand most of what they were saying. After the initial enrollment she sent both her children to class and a feeling of sadness and loneliness came over her. She walked home alone to an empty house and tried to pass the time by through doing chores. It seemed like time was going by so slow and she could not help but miss the home she came from. When two thirty finally rolled around she went to pick up my older brother and sister from their first day of school in America. When it came time to assist them with their homework my mother was unable to help because she could not understand most of what they were learning. It upset her that she could not understand all that they were learning and she could not help them with their homework as easily as most of the other parents. She often felt overwhelmed with all the obstacles that come with moving to a new country. Not being able to communicate properly when first arriving here left her feeling powerless. Communication is such vital part of everyday life and it often takes a long time and a lot of work to learn a new language that you need to live in a new country.